November 10, 1998

Bernard Holland reviews Tchaikovsky's last opera, Iolanta, performed in concert by Kirov Orchestra and Opera Chorus under direction of Valery Gergiev at Carnegie Hall; photo (M)

Federal District Judge Robert W Sweet awards more than $144 million in fees and $4.4 million in expenses to team of class-action lawyers who negotiated record-breaking $1 billion settlement from 37 Wall Street brokerage firms that lawyers accused of illegally fixing prices on stocks traded on Nasdaq; lawsuit, filed in May 1994, accused brokerage houses of artificially fixing prices on stocks they traded between May 1989 and mid-July 1996 (M)

Article discusses success of agriculture program at John Bowne High School in Flushing, Queens; school's program, which continues to emphasize farming techniques, has broadened its courses to include landscaping and animal and plant care; photo (M)

Ciba Specialty Chemicals and Clariant, two of largest players in rapidly growing specialty chemical industry, are merging in share swap valued at about $7 billion; new company will sport Clariant name but Ciba butterfly logo (M)

Federal Express Pilots Move Closer to a Strike Pilots at Federal Express began refusing to fly overtime and their union mailed strike authorization ballots, increasing the odds that the world's largest air freight service could be crippled during the peak season between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

American soprano Cheryl Studer is dropped by Munich Opera after director Peter Jonas terms her voice 'not good enough' she sues, saying she was dropped because she does not get along with conductor Zubin Mehta; stained glass from seven US churches will be exhibited at American Bible Society; France's Prix Goncourt goes to Paule Constant for novel Secret for Secret; Dominique Bona gets Prix Renault for book The Port Ebene Manuscript; Robert Benigni's film Life is Beautiful is named official Italian entry for best foreign film at 1999 Academy Awards; photos; 1716 Stradivarius violin valued at $3 million is stolen from home of violinist Luigi Alberto Bianchi's mother in Rome (S)

New York City Mayor Giuliani administration decides to drop plans, just announced over weekend, to speed up distribution of applications for food stamps and medical assistance to poor; decision comes one day after Jason A Turner, Commissioner of Human Resources Administration, said city would give applications on first day to anyone who set foot in welfare office; Federal officials had said that city appeared to be violating law by delaying applications to discourage needy from applying for welfare; latest move comes as US Agriculture officials begin to investigate city's welfare policies (M)

Stocks fall for first time in nine sessions; Dow Jones industrial average drops 77.50 points, or nine-tenths of 1 percent, to 8,897.96; Standard & Poor's 500-stock index falls 10.81 points, or about 1 percent, to 1,130.20; Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks dips 1.89 points, or five-tenths of 1 percent, to 398.43; Nasdaq composite index gains 4.49 points, or two-tenths of 1 percent, to 1,861.05; graph; chart (M)

Islamic schools that offer religion and Arabic classes along with standard academic curriculum are growing and flourishing across United States; many become oversubscribed so quickly that principals are scrambling for money to build more; combination of prayer, discipline and American-style teaching appeals to parents across lines of national origin and background; photos (M)

Pittsburgh Steelers defeat Green Bay Packers, 27-20; photo (M)

Joseph Papp Public Theater postpones opening of its troubled big-budget revival of On the Town, cancels two preview performances and brings in seasoned Broadway choreographer, Joey McKneely, to work on several dance numbers; director, George C Wolfe, denies problems (S)

Rep Robert L Livingston locks up votes to become next House Speaker, as Rep Christopher Cox drops his candidacy; Republican jockeying for power shifts intensifies over majority leader's post; Rep Jennifer B Dunn announces candidacy for post, held by Rep Dick Armey, who also faces challenge from Rep Steve Largent; Armey's supporters insist he has race nearly wrapped up; photos (M)